Life at Ntrepid

Chris Bertolero

Director of Network Operations and ITO

San Diego, CA

Chris Bertolero, Director of Network Operations and ITO, has been at Ntrepid for over five years. Chris is highly relational and he loves working with other people — from his customers and his colleagues to the employees he manages and mentors. He says that he got that trait from his mom.

“My mom really inspired me. She was a big people-person. She took care of everybody. I think that’s why I love talking to people and being there for them so much.”

Before coming to Ntrepid, Chris’ career history ran the gamut. He held a variety of different non-technical roles before working for San Diego Gas & Electric in their mainframe and network sections, where he had his first real encounter with the tech industry.

“When I started working on the mainframe, something clicked with me. I thought, ‘Wow, this is cool.’"

Chris remembers his first day working for Ntrepid, when the Network Operations Center (NOC) was nothing but a card table, a chair, and bundles of wires. “I love knowing where we’ve come from and seeing where we are now. It’s nice to know that I was a part of building it into what it is today.”

In the NOC, you have to be on your toes 24/7. His team is responsible for monitoring, reporting, escalating, and troubleshooting any problems that arise.

“We strive to identify a problem before the customer does. We’ve built a great rapport with those companies and we always get great feedback about how helpful we are.”

Everything Chris knows now, he learned while on the job. "I just learned as I went. Classrooms are great but when you’re learning in the field, it’s a totally different experience.”

Before moving to California, Chris played baseball in college. After an injury took him out of the game, Chris began coaching and has continued for the past 30 years. His coaching experience has translated into his management style.

“My advice to new people is to listen and ask a lot of questions. I tell them not to worry, because they are definitely going to fail at some point — just like I tell the baseball players, ‘Look, you’re gonna make a mistake.’ Human error is inevitable but we can avoid mental errors.”

Some of Chris’ proudest moments have been mentoring the younger people who come through his department. In his role as a manager, Chris is able to help foster future leaders within the company.

"I love training people and helping them learn. Some of Ntrepid’s best employees started in the NOC. I get to watch them grow from the time that they’re just starting out through when they are interviewing for promotions within the company. I’m proud of every one of them."

Chris’ department has become a vital part of Ntrepid’s success and he loves that he is able to see the fruits of his labor. “When I was a high school baseball coach, my job was to watch them go to college or to the Major Leagues. I feel the same way about seeing the NOC and my team grow into a critical part of the business.”

Chris feels that Ntrepid’s smaller size makes it more like a family than other places he has worked. It’s the people of Ntrepid that make it such a great place to be.

“Everybody I work with is unique and that’s awesome. I look up to all the leaders on both coasts, and I also admire those who are just starting and taking a chance because they want to learn. They make it a pleasure to come to work.”

Favorite Baseball Player: Luis Aparicio, Chicago White Sox shortstop. He gave me my first autograph back in 1968 when I was just eight years old.Favorite Book: "Lou Holtz on Coaching Success." I always read it before baseball season.What book would you give as a gift? There’s a speech by Dick Vermeil on the "Seven Principles on Leadership" that I think everyone should read. It applies to all areas of life, from sports to family to career.Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek originals.

Favorite Website: Food Network.

Favorite Movie: My kids make fun of me all the time, but I own every Harry Potter movie and I love to watch them over and over again.